Beleg van Sluis door Parma, 1587 1645 - 1647

Jacques Courtois made this print of the Siege of Sluis in 1647 with ink on paper. The traditional printmaking technique of engraving required the artist to use a tool called a burin to carve lines directly into a metal plate. The density of lines that Courtois incised creates a detailed overall image of the siege. Lines describe the town of Sluis, the vessels on the water, and the armies amassed to attack and defend the town. The artist’s skillful use of this labor-intensive process allows us to understand the military action from a birds-eye perspective. The qualities inherent to printmaking have imbue this artwork with cultural significance. Prints were important vehicles for disseminating information widely at a time before photography or readily available news media. The choice to use printmaking for the Siege of Sluis, thus, underscores the process's historical ties to knowledge, distribution, and power. It is in understanding both the materials and modes of production that we gain a greater appreciation of the artwork and its meaning.